Summer Vacation
by Julie
Summary: Molly goes to see Professor Dumbledore about Harry coming to the Weasley's for summer vacation.


This is my second story -- a short piece concerning the  
conversation Molly Weasley and Professor Dumbledore had after  
Voldemort's rebirth. Please R&R   
  
  
"Molly," Professor Dumbledore greeted her as he stepped into  
his office. He had his usual beaming smile, but anybody who  
really knew him could tell he was troubled.  
  
Molly Weasley got to her feet nervously. "I hope you don't  
mind me waiting in your office, Professor."  
  
"Not at all. I hope you haven't been waiting too long. I  
seem to be in great demand these days, he said lightly.  
  
"No, of course not.   
  
Professor Dumbledore settled himself into his office chair.   
"I assume part of the reason you re here concerns Sirius Black."  
  
Molly looked embarrassed. "I don't know what to say. Percy  
found that rat just outside our house. We didn t think anything  
of it. Especially since it was free, she remembered. When I  
told Arthur what we had taken in, he was just appalled."  
  
"You haven't spoken to anyone else," Professor Dumbledore  
said sharply.  
  
"No, of course not. We're not going to even speak of him in  
the house, in case we're overheard, but it didn't seem right, not  
telling Arthur. Ron told me the whole story after you left the  
infirmary." She fell silent, Professor Dumbledore was certain  
she was going over what Ron had told her, perhaps she was  
thinking of the danger her youngest son had been in. "It's  
terrible," she whispered. "To send an innocent man to   
Azkaban."  
  
Dumbledore nodded solemnly.  
  
"He wasn't given a trial. I remember Arthur telling me that  
at the time, but I didn t care. I mean, he'd been caught red-  
handed."  
  
"It was wrong of me to let that happen," Dumbledore spoke.   
"I should have made sure he got a trial. I owed him that much.  
  
"That wasn't your responsibility," Mrs. Weasley interjected  
weakly.  
  
Dumbledore didn't seem to have heard her. "I was so angry.  
James and Lily were . . . very dear to me. To think Sirius  
betrayed them, and I was worried about Remus. He lost all of his  
best friends in one night. Still, that s not the reason you re  
here, Dumbledore didn t feel it was necessary to burden Molly  
Weasley with his troubles. The mother of seven, the matriarch of  
a family publicly know to favor Muggles, she had enough to worry  
about without him adding to it. What did you want to speak to  
me about?"  
  
"Professor," Molly began hesitantly, "are you absolutely  
positive that Sirius Black is innocent. I mean, the story Ron  
told me makes sense, and with Pettigew still alive . . . well,  
I can wonder why you could believe Black is innocent, but are you  
sure," she looked at him pleadingly.  
  
"I would stake my life on it," Professor Dumbledore said.   
"Harry, Ron, Hermonie and Professor Lupin heard Pettigew confess  
AND Harry told me Pettigew was at Voldemort's rebirth."  
  
Molly flinched at the words 'Voldemort's rebirth', but she  
didn't pursue the matter of Sirius Black. "I wanted to ask if  
Harry could come straight to us at summer break. After  
everything he's been through, her chest swelled with  
indignation, he needs to be surrounded by people who care about  
him. I don't think his aunt and uncle care if he lives or dies."  
  
"That, unfortunately is irrelevant. It's important that  
Harry return to them."  
  
"But why," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Professor Dumbledore  
suspected that she had not believed he would object to her plan.   
  
Dumbledore looked troubled. "I invoked an ancient magic to  
keep Harry safe after his parent died. He completely safe under  
its umbrella, but for the spell to be effective he must be in the  
care of a blood relative. Petunia Durlsey may be narrow minded,  
bitter, jealous and vindictive, but she is Harry's only living  
relation. You're correct that neither her nor her husband like  
Harry. I suspect they only took him in because they were fearful  
of what people would say about them if they refused. I have been  
aware for several years that Harry was not well treated under  
their roof."   
  
"Why didn't you," Molly stopped speaking, but then started  
again as if her words were a flood she couldn't contain, "bring  
him here to live. You could have hired a nanny, surely he'd have  
been just as safe at Hogswarts as with the Dursleys."  
  
As if it was only yesterday, he remembered Lily's grief that  
Petunia refused to come to her wedding then refused to even see  
her nephew. With pain akin to a blow by a knife he heard James  
say that if anything happened to him and Lily, he didn't want  
Harry going to live with Lily's muggle sister. "Harry would have  
been spoiled rotten if he'd been raised in the magical community.   
I hoped that James and Lily s death would change the Dursleys   
attitude.   
  
Molly almost smiled. "When I first found out who he is,  
Ginny wanted to go and see him. I told her she'd already seen  
him and he isn't something you goggle at in a zoo." She was  
quiet for a moment. "Do you think Harry is in danger?" she  
asked.  
  
"Harry has been in danger from the moment of his birth,  
Molly. Are you asking me if I think he's in danger right now?   
Not especially, but we cannot afford to leave him unprotected for  
two months. I think he'll be able to spend the last week of  
summer vacation with you. I'll get back to you later about it,  
but for now I want him to go to the Dursleys."  
  
"And what happens if he has a nervous breakdown. He saw  
Cedric Diggory being killed. He blames himself. He shouldn't be  
left alone right now."  
  
"He isn't going to be alone. I've already had this  
conversation with Minerva and Harry's Secret Keeper. Voldemort  
told Harry he was protected in his relations care. So, I m gong  
to allow his Secret Keeper to reveal herself. She s been dying  
to for ages. She's got plans for him this summer. Extra tutoring  
in Defense Against the Dark Arts, dueling and learning how to  
waltz. Minerva said she'd take Hermonie to visit him. I heard  
her muttering something about buying him a new pair of glasses."  
  
"Well, if your adamant that your plan is in Harry s best  
interest, Molly said. I won t say anymore about it. But I m  
going to have Ron wright to him every few days. If I don t think  
he s coping, I ll. . . I don t know but I ll think of  
something.   
  
Molly stood up. "You must have a lot to do."  
  
Dumbledore also stood. "Molly, thank you."  
  
She blinked. "For what."  
  
"For thinking of Harry. For offering to take him in."  
  
"Oh, how could I not. The poor dear has no one, and he's so  
sweet. You know," she lowered her voice, conspiratorially, "it  
wouldn't surprise me at all if he's isn't my son someday. Ginny  
is quite smitten with him." She shook the headmaster's hand and  
left the room.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
